Friction closure for containers



Dec. 7 1926.

c. HAMMER FRICTION CLOSURE FOR CONTAINERS Filed March 23. 1923 Patented D... 7, 1926.

umrnn STATES CHARLES HAMMER, OF HOLLIS COURT BOULEVARD, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMERI- CAN METAL CAP COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

rmcrroncmsunn non CONTAINERS.

Application filed March 23, 1923. Serial No. 627,000.

This invention relates to metal caps or closures, particularly to that class thereof known as friction caps adapted for use on containers such as glass jars usually having a straight or plain outer sealing wall and in "whichthecap is applied thereto by downward pressure on the to of the cap as for instance adjacent to the"outer edges thereof the object of the invention being to provide an improved metal friction cap having a depending skirt provided with a friction seal so reinforced thereabove that the collapse of this friction seal is prevented on the application of the cap to the container, such reinforcement being shown in the present instance in the form of corrugations near the top of the cap and also to provide a cap of .the classdescribed having. a friction seal provided 'at both sides thereof withstrength V ening'corrugations.

rovision of an improved friction cap havmg a combined annular and curved friction surface or bead and reinforcing corrugations so located as to permit an uninterrupted seal entirely around the container.

' A further object of the inventlon is the provision of' a shallow flanged metal cap which may be made of relatively thmsheet metal comprising a top, a depending flange or skirt provided with a ,relatively small annular head in position to engage the outer wall of the container, and two spaced sets of reinforcing corrugations located around't-he flange and spaced apart by the sealing bead, whereby. the cap may be readily used either with pr without a liner.

In the present improvement the corrugations which strengthen the flange of this sli -on orfriction cap to prevent it from co apsing are so located that the cap may be readily used either with or without aliner and in the preferred form thereof the flange of the cap is provided with two sets or hands of corrugations having their opposed ends spaced apart and between which is located the annular friction surface or bead for frictionally engagingthe outer side wall of the ar.

Thus it will be observed that the corrugations do not interrupt the annular friction engaging surface of the cap so that a tight friction seal is obtained at every point met or extended entirely across the flange from top to bottom thereof, the result would be alternate spaces and friction engaging.

around the jar, whereas if the corrugations surfaces so that the spaces between such corrugations would admit 3.11" and moisture and consequently a tight seal could not'be obtained without the use of a liner. In the present improvement however a tight seal is obtained whether a liner is used or not, and

moreover a tighter engagement of the cap on the jar is ensured since'there is a continuous annular friction engagement all around the jar. Moreover by having the corrugations located substantially in the manner shown a very. effective gri ping surface is provided throughout practlcally the entire height of the flange without however interfering withthe sealing portion of the cap, and in addition to this increasedgrippmg surface the flange is materially strengthened by the corrugations, the two sets of which materially increase this strengthening efi'ect.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification Fig. '1 is a top view of this improved cap with a portion thereof brokenaway; Fig. 2 is a part side and part sectional view of the cap; Fig. 3 is a sectional view illustrating the cap placed on top of a glass container; and Fig. 4 illustrates the same after it has been applied thereto. by pressure.

' Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts .in the severalviews.

Before explaining in detail the present:

improvement and mode of operation thereof,

I desire to have it understoodthat the ins vention is not limited to the details of con- ,struction and detailed arrangement .of parts which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of 'other embodiments, and I that the phr se-q ology which I employ is for the" purpose of description'and not of limitation. 1

This improved metal cap whichmay be made of relati vely thin sheetmetalsuch as tin comprises a top 2 having a depending flange or skirt 3,-shown as of shallow form, and which fiangein the present instance is Wardly and inwardly as at 4 to about the middle of the depth ofthe flange and then inclined downwardly and outwardly as at 5 terminating in a strengthened, edge 6' which maybe formed by curling or rolling the lower free or raw edge of the skirt or flange. The two inclined flange portions 4 and 5 are connected by an annular inwardly extending head or curved portion 7 forming a shoul-' der 8 for the reception of a gasket if it is desired to use the same and this bead forms a friction engaging or sealing surface entir'ely around the cap. By reason of the outwar ly inclined or flaring portion 5 thecap can be readily seated upon or slipped over the enlarged mouth of the container as shown in Fig. 3 with the convex face of the bead in position when pressure is applied to the cap to pass down and tightly engage the outer wall of'the container and effectively seal and secure the cap on the container. Owing to the arch construction of this bead any undue bending of the closure, when pressure is applied to sealthe jar, is prevented. In practice the normal internal diameter of the closure at the bead thereof is less than the outer diameter of the container where it is to fit so that the downward pres- .sure of the cap on the jar, while it will enlarge the diameter 'of the cap sufficiently to permit the cap to pass on to the jar and tightly engage the jar, will not distortor buckle the flange of the cap owing to the arch construction of the bead and also to the strengthening corrugations. The bead thus forms a single point of contact between the skirt and the container while the outwardly flaring lower portion of the skirt provides a means for the insertion of a suitable instrument to'release the cap. Furthermore by reason of the fact that the bead is of comparativelysmall size in cross section a much better scaling is obtained since the small bead will more readily allow for any irregularitiesin the jar wall and in the size of the jar than if the friction engaging surface was of large curvature. Formed in the cap flange around the same is a series of corrugations so disposed as not to interfere with the friction engaging surface of the cap, and in the present instance these corrugations are shown comprising two sets or bands, one set thereof as 9 located between the strengthened edge and the bead, and the other set as 10 located between the bead and the top of the cap so that while the cap is provided with strengthening corrugations and gripping surfaces throughout practically the entire height of the flange, these corrugations do not meet but are spaced apart by the annular friction engaging surface or bead 7 of the cap and therefore do not interfere with a cap engaging surface entirely around the U glassjar so that the cap maybe used whether conicallyjformed as by being inclined downwith or without a liner as desired; It will be obvious as hereinbefore stated that'if the corrugations extended from top to bottom,

of the cap that the corrugations would engage the jar wall while the spaces therebetween would be spaced from the jar preventing a tight seal of the jar at'every point around the same and also sealing the jar with less effectiveness. while facilitating the premature knocking of the cap off the jar, and also requiring the use of a liner to even seal the jar. 1 k

The present improvement thus provides a friction cap which may be used not only without a liner, but which is much stronger, and in which corru ations can be used without interfering with a continuous friction surface entirely around the jar, and which will have all of the good qualities of and certain advantages over the cap shown and described in my Reissue Patent No. 15,-

259 dated January 3, 1922, while being a materially stronger cap and one which can be handled to better advantage. It will also beobserved that by means of the present improvement I am able to provide a cap having a single friction seal-shown as formed by an annular bead and between which and the top of the cap is located a series of reinforcements shown in the form of-corrugations whereby-on the application of the cap prior art.

Having thus explained the nature of my said invention and described a way of constructing and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all the forms in which it may be made, or all the modes of its use, I claim:

1. A friction closure comprising a top having a depending skirt preformed by an inwardly inclined portion-and an outwardly I inclined portion connected at substantially the median line of the skirt by an inwardly extending bead forming a friction seal and so arranged that the skirt has contact only with the container at such head, said skirt having corrugations therein below saidfriction seal and also above the same friction seal and strengthening the skirt to prevent the collapse "thereof, said outwardly inclined portion provided with a strengthened lower ed e.

2 A friction closure comprising a top having a depending skirt preformed by an inwardly inclined portion and an outwardly inclined portion connected at substantially the median line ofthe skirt by an inwardly extending bead forming a friction seal, and so arranged that the skirt has a single point of contact with the container, said skirt having reinforcements therein below said fric-' tion seal and also above the same friction seal and strengthening the skirt to revent the collapse thereof, said outward y inclined portion provided with a strengthened lower edge.

3.'A friction closure Lcomprising a top having a depending skirt preformed entirely by an inwardly inclined portion and an out- -wardly inclined portion connected at substantially the median lined the' skirt by an inward] extending bead forming a friction seal and so arranged that the skirt has contact only with the container at the bead, said skirt having reinforcementsinzone of said inclined portions, and said :outwardly inclined portion provided with astrengthened lower edge.

Signed at Brooklyn, N. Y., this 20th day of March, 1923.

CHARLES HAMMER. 

